With Uche Nnadozie
I have taken time to berate the Federal Government over its lackadaisical response to the killings in Benue state in particular. Although it is the same pattern of response that I have seen in the killings that have taken place in parts of Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna and Rivers states. As a matter of fact, these killings have taken years to attract appropriate sanctions from the Federal Government. Even if security of lives and properties were not centralised, there is no way people like me will not come down hard on the Federal Government, especially the president (whoever the person may be). This is so because the president exemplifies the Nigerian sovereignty. It should bother him or her more than any one else if deaths of the same pattern are recorded in any part of the country without any serious fight back.
In the same vein, I have taken a closer look at the body language and utterances of the Governor of Benue state since the recent killings in his state by suspected herdsmen. Itโs been four weeks since the last major deaths, the governor is not on record to have proffered any solution apart from the anti open grazing law. The governor is not known to have engaged stakeholders of any kind. Instead he has accused everyone else but himself of masterminding the killings. He has accused President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, all security agencies, neighbouring state governors, Fulanis and such persons as either active or passive conspirators in the mayhem. He canโt see himself in the carnage. He takes every turn to take aim at any other authority but himself. He puts himself out there as a saviour of โhis peopleโโ although, his people die under his watch.
From available media reports, he is known to have set up and armed some men to search the bushes to maim and kill. He never told anyone that he has a militia until they were found out. So in spite of his well armed militia, farmers and villagers still get brutalised. Of course, we know why, the armed men are out in the bushes raiding hapless citizens to line their own pockets. They also engage in the same brutalisation we accused herders of engaging. After all, it appears the herders themselves equally engaged militia of their own in response to what Dr. Samuel Ortom has done. Unfortunately, he has cried the most and for good reason. I cannot in good conscience fault his wailing, yet, his motive doesnโt appear altruistic therefore, must be questioned.
I have heard him threaten electoral misfortune for President Buhari and his All Progressives Congress, APC, a party which he and the president belong. What is he saying? That whoever has won the presidency of Nigeria has always won in Benue. Therefore, if APC loses Benue then they should kiss the presidency good bye. You see, his grouse is about elections even when he had admonished Benue politicians to suspend electoral campaigns for now. He said he has suspended talks about 2019 (elections). Yet he has not backtracked on his innuendos regarding electoral defeat as a result of a possible lose of his state by the ruling party. For him nothing wrong with that. It is no longer about the dead whom he had paraded around Markudi streets to curry emotional favour. Till date, there is no report out there about any effort of his and his government to engage communities where loss of lives have been recorded. No compensation, no remedies, just continual pointing of fingers towards Abuja and his neighbours.
The other day, Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike paid a condolence visit to Ortom. What did we see, Ortom took Wike to the cemetery. I have never heard this before. Weeks after burial of 73 people, the Governor of Benue took his counterpart from Rivers to a cemetery! I didnโt see them condole with the families of the deceased. But they went on a tour of a burial ground where the visiting governor donated N200 million. Ladies and gentlemen, thereโs no other sign to show that the whole mournful events have been steered towards politics. Burial ground is now a cinema! Ortom having failed woefully as a governor since taking office nearly three years ago, he has nothing to show. He is using the unfortunate deaths in his state to blackmail his people as their champion and underdog who has not benefited from FGโs assistance. In fact, for him, it is his โloveโโ for his people that has made Buhari turn against him and refused to assist the state with federal resources.
How fickle can politician get? Hereโs a governor that has failed to inspire his state which was hitherto known as the food basket of Nigeria to benefit from Buhariโs farm revolution. He owes over 10 months salary arrears and unaccounted number of unpaid pension and gratuities. He is not known to have delivered any infrastructural development. He is just there speaking big grammar and throwing tantrums all over. Ask him what he has done to stem the clashes between farmers and herdsmen, he will point to the anti open grazing law! But elections are coming, so he has to latch onto something to explain his chaotic reign. Then of course, if APC do not like his face, he appears ready to return to his vomit- PDP! Little wonder, PDP people have turned Markudi to a beehive. In spite of the fact that more people were killed in Benue during PDP reign. But thatโs the way of politicians. Very slippery folks. The worst of them are those who play ping pong with peoples lives- Ortom is one of them!
